Kazakhstan and Belgium Strengthen Business Partnership: From Agreements to Joint Projects

The fourth meeting of the Kazakhstan–Belgium Business Council took place in Astana on October 13, attended by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde. Held as part of the Belgian royal couple's state visit to Kazakhstan, the event brought together representatives of the business communities of both countries.

Kanat Sharlapayev, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan “Atameken”, delivered an address at the opening of the Business Council in the presence of the distinguished guests. He emphasized the historic significance of the visit of the King and Queen of Belgium and noted that the development of bilateral relations should translate into tangible trade and investment results.

“The first state visit of the King and Queen of Belgium to Kazakhstan is truly a historic event. For the business communities of our countries, it sends a clear message: the time has come to move from intentions to action. Our ultimate goal should not be merely to sign agreements, but to achieve actual deliveries, operational production facilities, new jobs and joint investments. These are the results by which we will measure the effectiveness of our Business Council,” Kanat Sharlapayev stated.

Ahead of the meeting, Kazakh and Belgian partners signed 16 cooperation documents, nine of which relate to the agro-industrial sector. The agreements cover agricultural product supplies, the introduction of advanced technologies, the development of processing industries, construction and medical technologies.

Among the key outcomes were six agreements signed by Belgian companies Vandeputte, Scaldis and Linagro for the purchase of Kazakh flaxseed. Kazakhstan is a leading supplier of flaxseed to the European Union, while Belgium is Kazakhstan's largest EU partner in this sector.

Particular attention was paid to developing high-value-added production. A framework agreement was signed with De Smet on engineering and equipment for a deep wheat processing plant in the Kostanay Region. An agreement was concluded with Desmet Ballestra on equipment supplies to expand a vegetable oil refining plant in Petropavlovsk, while an agreement with Dewulf focuses on modernizing potato farming.

Cooperation also extends to construction and healthcare. Kazakhstan's ARTEX Holding and Belgium's DOREARCHITECTURE agreed to establish a factory in Kazakhstan to produce environmentally friendly prefabricated houses, with plans to export modules to Europe. In medical technologies, Alatau City and Ion Beam Applications (IBA) are launching a feasibility study for a proton therapy project.

To ensure the practical implementation of the agreements reached, Kanat Sharlapayev proposed three areas for further joint work. The first involves appointing designated coordinators within the chambers of both countries to oversee signed agreements, identify new partners and liaise with government agencies. The second focuses on developing a practical guide, jointly with Belgian business associations, for companies interested in entering the Kazakh and Belgian markets, as well as establishing a portfolio of priority joint projects with specific implementation stages and responsible parties. The third initiative concerns organizing regular trade missions of Belgian entrepreneurs to Kazakhstan to expand direct business contacts and identify new cooperation opportunities.

“Today's Business Council meeting not only lays the foundation for cooperation between Kazakh and Belgian partners but also delivers concrete results that strengthen trade relations between our countries. The main work begins tomorrow: we must turn these documents into actual deliveries, technology transfers and operational production facilities,” Kanat Sharlapayev emphasized.

Murat Karimsakov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan “Atameken” and Chairman of the Management Board of the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan, also delivered welcoming remarks. He highlighted the role of the Business Council, established through the joint efforts of the chambers, in supporting businesses and developing long-term partnerships.

“The main objective of the Business Council is to translate the trust-based political dialogue between the leaders of our countries into concrete, mutually beneficial trade and investment projects. We propose strengthening cooperation by moving from raw material exports towards establishing joint ventures for agricultural processing. The Business Council will provide systematic institutional support to businesses through a one-stop-shop approach,” Murat Karimsakov noted.

The business programme included panel sessions on strengthening transport connectivity between Kazakhstan and Europe, including the Middle Corridor and multimodal transportation; applying Belgian agricultural technologies to improve the productivity and sustainability of the agro-industrial sector; and the successful experience of Belgian companies IBA, Le Pain Quotidien and Waterleau in Kazakhstan.

The meeting concluded with B2B meetings aimed at establishing direct contacts between entrepreneurs and developing new joint projects.